Long term, Short term
by Lightningslash14
Summary: After an accident that puts Judy into a coma and she in turn suffers long term memory loss. She forgets Nick and ever knowing him. Ever loving him. Nick fights the battle raging inside of him, as he's being torn apart from the ideals of the city, and the ideals of what he truly cares about. All he knows is one thing. He HAS to get Judy's memory back. By any means necessary.
1. Chapter 1

**Long term, Short term:** **Prologue**

 **By Zaddict16**

* * *

On a sunny day in Zootopia, the world seemed to be flowing perfectly. The criminal activity seemed to be dwindling down a little bit and the word "litter" didn't even look like it was a word worth defining in the dictionary. Every officer in the ZPD were hardworking, focused, educated mammals. Who always put their work first ahead of everything. Well, more or less all of them.

The sun came shining in through the blinds covering the window in his apartment and lit up the room like a disco ball. Sleeping and exhausted from the previous night of staking out a warehouse for twenty hours straight, and with A LOT of coffee and only six bathroom breaks that his energetic bunny partner allowed him to use, he was completely wiped out.

"Aghhh!, stupid sunlight!" Nick said, agitated as he covered his face with his paw to block the sunlight streaming into the room.

Nick then gave out a frightful yawn and sat up on his bed as the sun beamed directly at his face. Nick then stretched his arms in opposite directions and felt his joints loosen up and heard a crack. Groggily he glanced over at his alarm clock saw that it was already eight-thirty and the bullpen meeting was about to start at the ZPD.

He shook his head and thought to himself "Ah, there's no point, by the time I even get out the door the meeting's going to start, I'll never make it".

Nick then reached up behind him and pulled the chain down to lower the blinds and stopped the light from flooding into his room. He then laid back down and thought about what happened yesterday with the stakeout at the warehouse.

The stakeout ended up to be a bust, a false tip given by someone, which Nick suspected to be a prank by one of his fellow officers to get him and Judy together for an extended period of time. Probably because they had some kind of bet going on whether he would seal the deal or not. Nick wasn't even sure if that was the case. Secretly though, Nick did hope that it was, because he really enjoyed spending time with Judy.

Even though it was during work and Judy kept yelling at him to shut up most of the night because he kept complaining that his phone was dead, he still enjoyed her company. Nick, that night, was tempted to just lean over to Judy and just kiss her right on the cheek. But naturally he was afraid of what Judy's reaction would be. He was afraid of **her** leaning over and punching him right in the face, at the very least for not being professional. He could tell that she liked it when he did that, but only when they were off duty.

When they arrived at the ZPD after the stakeout was over, Nick's description to the Chief for the report they had to file didn't help the matter. As it was "This was just a HUGE waste of time". Nick then received a very angry glare from the Chief and got another one of his "inspirational" lectures about taking work seriously and threatening to put him on parking duty for a month.

As usual Nick nonchalantly nodded and mechanically smiled and didn't really pay much attention to what he was saying, seeing as how he got those lectures quite often. But Chief Bogo always turned the tables when he threatened to place Judy with a more attentive partner and give him with task of getting donuts for Clawhauser as his main job. Nick then paid FULL attention and pleaded him to give him another chance.

And as usual, the Chief then gave him another chance to prove himself, just for him to slack off and break it a couple of weeks later, again.

" _Alright Wilde, you have ONE more chance to prove you can take this job seriously, if you can't then I will just tell Officer Hopps that you're too much of a idiot and slacker, and that you aren't a sufficient enough partner for her_ " Nick remembered him saying.

" _So, if you want to keep Judy as your partner, then I suggest you shape up, AND DO YOUR JOB_!". "Yes sir, won't happen again, sir!" Nick said ready with another sarcastic comment but held it back, for his and Judy's sake. He did NOT want to have that conversation with Judy and tell her that the Chief split them up because of his own stupidity. Nick knew that the Chief didn't really want to split them up because if he did, Judy would have no one that she truly trusts beside her in the field. He also knew that the Chief LOVED to see him squirm.

He was scared of the Chief for sure. But he was TERRIFIED of Judy when she got mad, especially at him.

"But anyway" Nick said to himself smiling, and brought his paws up to his face and rubbed his emerald eyes. "Judy, I wish you were here" Nick said and closed his eyes, and then realized that Judy was probably going to kill him later for skipping work but he was too tired to care right now.

He then contemplated for a moment and said to himself "OK, maybe I care a little bit" and smiled. He then smoothed his body back onto his warm bed and wrapped the covers around him and fell fast asleep.

Judy. He dreamed about Judy and her "cuteness" as he would describe it. He dreamed of her "fluffiness" and just how the way her nose twitches in excitement whenever she sees him. How her eyes widened with hope and prosperity. Something he promised to himself that he would NEVER forget, and hoped she promised the same for herself.

And about how soft her fur was, and just the way it glistened when the sun shone on it. How warm her breath was when she got close to him, causing his fur to stand on end. And not that he would ever admit it to her but, just how fluffy her tail was, and how cute it looked. And just the way how she always seemed to smell like blueberries, even when she denied it when he teased her of wearing blueberry perfume just because he liked it. Just the way when she walked by him, the air filled with such a sweet and succulent aroma that he would eat the air if he could.

And the crispness of the air when she was near him, the scent of "heaven" as he described it. Ah, he could smell it right now even, breaking through the awful stench in his room, the delightful smell in the air, how he loved it, and especially who it was attached to.

Realizing how apt of a description that he was thinking about, Nick slowly opened his eyes and discovered that he was face to face with a fuming bunny, standing right on top of him.

Nick jumped back in surprise and banged his head on the wall behind him and yelled "Carrots! What are you doing here! How did you get into my room!?".

"I have my ways" Judy replied, grinning malevolently while holding up a folded paper clip in one paw and a bobby pin in the other.

"Seriously Carrots, your going all MacGrowl on me now?" Nick said sarcastically.

"It doesn't matter if I am or not" Judy replied as she placed the paper clip and bobby pin in one of the pockets on her belt.

"The only thing that matters now is you getting up and GOING TO WORK!" Judy yelled, causing Nick to cringe in fear at his partner on top of him.

Judy then punched Nick in the shoulder and smiled and said "It's called a hustle sweetheart". Nick frowned at Judy realizing she literally had him cornered, against the wall and in the argument.

"I mean C'mon Carrots?" Nick said and shifted his body weight towards the window, as he was trying to get up from the awkward position Judy had forced him into. "You should've at least knocked on the door" Nick said and gestured his paw at the door, clearly trying to distract her to look to where he was pointing so he could escape. She didn't take the bait.

"I guess you should get me a key then" Judy said and laughed, being totally serious, but trying to lessen the impact on Nick's conscience. As Judy laughed, Nick noticed something familiar to him, but not that he's ever seen in her eyes before. The hint of longing, no, the NEED for Nick to let her into his room. And not only his room, but he suspected a deeper element as well, a long sought desire to be let into his life.

"Nick, hello, is anyone home?" Judy said to him, snapping him out of his dreamy state and back into reality. With a smug grin spreading across his face he replied "Well I'm not sure if anyone is home, seeing as how a certain bunny didn't knock on the door and decided to lock pick the door". Judy rolled her eyes and saw that he was the same old Nick, one that she knew, hoped that she would NEVER forget.

Judy then swiftly leaned down VERY close to Nick, something that caught him completely off guard, and she said "Nick, I'm going to give you fifteen minutes, if you are not showered and dressed presentably by then".

"I will be a VERY angry bunny" Judy threatened and raised a clenched paw in front of Nick's muzzle.

Nick swallowed and slowly nodded at the bunnies intention. Judy then smiled and said "Great, LETS GO!".

"Uh Carrots, I would because you literally just threatened me but, I can't because your kind've standing on me" Nick replied, and gestured at Judy's feet on his stomach.

"This still counts as your fifteen minutes you know" Judy said and smirked.

Nick's eyes shot open as he threw the covers off of him, and onto Judy, sending her tumbling onto his bed.

"Really Nick!" Judy yelled after him as he jumped off of his bed and ran to the bathroom and turned on the water.

"Hey, that wasn't my idea of you standing on top of me" Nick said back.

Judy sat down on Nick's bed and smiled at the thought of what she saw Nick wearing as he ran to the bathroom. She saw that he was wearing the EXACT carrot boxers that she bought him for their one year partnership "anniversary" that he repeatably said that he didn't wear.

"Oh you sly, dumb, handsome fox" Judy said to herself not realizing Nick could hear her.

"One, thanks for the compliment, and two, why are you still in my room?" Nick said.

"I thought you said you were going to get me a key" Judy replied, and smiled.

"If you keep coming in here unannounced by lock picking the door then no" Nick said flatly. Judy slightly frowned at his comment, but smiled to herself knowing that he was only joking. Probably.

"BUT!".

"There it is" Judy thought to herself and rolled her eyes.

"If you actually call ahead or, at the very least, knock on the door next time instead of lock picking it, **then** I'll get you a key" Nick said, and even though Judy couldn't see him, she knew he was smiling.

"So I think in about five minutes, I'm going to go out there and check if your still in here, if you are..." Nick said and chuckled.

"I guess you'll get some strong memories of the Mystic Spring Oasis, won't ya Carrots" Nick said and then full out laughed.

Judy eyes widened at what Nick said and her thoughts dashed back to her trip to that establishment. The embarrassment and the uncomfortableness that she felt going in there, she swore to herself that she would NEVER feel that uncomfortable around "naturalists" ever again. Give or take a couple of exceptions when it comes to who it was.

"Unless you want to see me in my birthday suit" Nick teased and Judy could tell that he was waving his tail around, taunting her to leave and stand in the hallway.

"Oh come on Nick, grow up" Judy said and snorted while thumping her foot on his bed.

"Hey, don't you break my bed in there, I can hear your foot!" Nick said sharply.

"OK, fine Nick, I'll stop thumping my foot" Judy said and grinned while speeding her foot up.

"Carrots!". "Don't make me come out there!" Nick yelled.

"You won't do it Nick" Judy teased, and realized what she just said. "Watch me" Nick said, he opened up the door, and walked out of the bathroom.

Judy swiftly pulled her ears down and covered her eyes with them to shield her from Nick. Judy heard footsteps, each step sounded like it was a mile away, but also as if they were right in front of her. Judy heard the soft sound of his paw pads hit the carpet, each time getting louder and louder until he was standing right in front of her. She felt him rub the fur on her forehead with his paw, and soft it was, she blushed at the fact. Judy then heard Nick give a hearty laugh and she couldn't help but smile.

"Relax Carrots" Nick said and reached down and slowly lifted up Judy's ears that were covering her view of him. Judy braced as she felt the warm embrace of his paw as he touched her ears, sending a chill rippling through her fur.

Judy stared into Nick's eyes, those emerald eyes of his, as if it was some sort of instinct, for protection and comfort. She focused on his eyes and tried to block everything else out.

Nick then gave a slow chuckle and said "Seriously Carrots, it's fine" Nick said and brushed her ears down to behind her head.

Judy blushed as she realized that Nick was wearing a bathrobe and she didn't see him put it on when he was in the bathroom.

"What happened to your birthday suit" Judy asked sarcastically.

"Well I was originally going to wear it, but they were all sold out in stores" Nick replied with a smirk.

"Next time though, I'll order it on online ahead of time so you won't miss out on "multitudinous opportunity's" to see me wearing it" Nick said and smiled and sat down on the bed next to Judy.

Judy hesitated at first because he was only wearing a bathrobe, but after a couple of seconds, Judy moved closer to him and snuggled up close to his chest.

"Carrots, you know I'm wearing pants right?" Nick said, grinning.

"Sly fox" Judy replied and laughed.

"Don't worry Nick, one day I'll love your birthday suit". "Oh, and Nick, one more thing" Judy said.

'What is it my adorably cute little bunny" Nick said and grinned.

Judy then swiftly punched Nick in the shoulder and smiled and said "First, one day I'll let you call me cute, MAYBE!" Judy said. "Second" Judy said and snuggled up even closer to Nick then before.

"I love you Nicholas Piberius Wilde" Judy said and buried her face into Nick's chest. Completely taken aback from the sudden response from his long trusted partner and even greater friend, he knew she had feelings for him, and he knew that she knew that he had feelings for her as well. But Nick was utterly stunned at the forwardness of her statement. He could use this as a way to mess with her though, to make her second guess herself and then tell her he was kidding. Just to see the look on her face.

"And then she would fall right into my trap" Nick thought to himself and grinned.

"As a friend right?" Nick said with a straight face and somehow, some- **way** , contained his amusement. Judy's ears drooped and she slightly pulled away from Nick and looked up at his face, she saw the seriousness written all over it. "What do you mean?" Judy asked, her voice quivering.

"Well, you mean as friends right, nothing more?" Nick said but couldn't stop a slight smirk tug at the edge of his lips.

Judy caught the smirk that he was so desperately trying to hide and smiled herself at Nick's slyness.

"Well if it's just as friends-..." Judy said and swiftly jumped up to Nick's height on the bed and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him towards her and kissed him right on the lips.

Nick so was shocked by Judy's action that everything around him seemed to stop. It was as if reality, life, even time itself stopped dead in their tracks and gave the two mammals a moment of safety and happiness.

After what seemed an eternity, Judy pulled away from Nick, smiling.

"Was that satisfactory enough?" Judy asked coyly.

"I don't know, should we do it again?"

"And you're right by the way Carrots" Nick said and flashed a toothy grin.

"If that's just as friends, then I don't ever want to change" Nick said and saw Judy's eyes beam with happiness.

"Hey Nick, can I ask you something?" Judy said.

"Shoot" Nick said.

"Well I was wondering if you would-..." Judy said but paused and brushed her ears down as her cheeks flushed with pink.

"Go ahead Carrots, I'm listening" Nick said and slid her paw into his and gave it a little squeeze for reassurance.

"I was wondering if you would like to go out to dinner with me" Judy said, her cheeks completely pink and her nose was twitching like crazy.

It took Nick a moment to process her sentence, but after a awkward silence Nick's face broke into a wondrous smile.

"Your asking **me** out on a date?" Nick said teasingly.

"Why, do you not want to go?" Judy asked, her voice catching in her throat.

Nick chuckled and said "No, I would **love** to go on a date with you Judy". Judy looked up at him, she saw the sincerity in his eyes, a sign that he really would love to go on a date with her.

Judy fidgeted around on the bed next to Nick and felt her paw brush up against something very soft. She looked over and saw her paw instinctively petting Nick's tail that was lying next to him on the bed. She felt her foot start to thump on the ground. She didn't even have to look but she knew that Nick was amused by it.

She glanced down at the floor and saw Nick's phone lying on the carpet next to her foot. She reached down and picked it up and pressed the unlock button. "Hey Carrots, you found my phone, I've been looking for that for ages" Nick said, his voice cracked just enough that Judy could hear it. Nick slowly reached for his phone in Judy's paw but she suddenly pulled away from him.

"Ah, ah, ah, not yet Slick" Judy said and waved her finger in front of his face. "I still have put the date of the **date** into your calendar, so **you** don't forget".

"Carrots, just let me see my phone, I can do it myself".

"Not on your life, I'm not letting you forget to even put it in" Judy said and pulled away from Nick even further.

"One, I'm not the one who forgets stuff, and two, give me back my phone Judy!" Nick said and shifted closer on the bed to Judy.

"Why, you got something to hide?" Judy asked curiously.

"JUDY!" Nick roared causing Judy to flinch and give Nick enough time to lunge at her.

Thanks to Judy's amazing reactions she barley dodged Nick as he crashed into the wall behind her. She went flat on the bed and rolled onto the floor below her. Hearing a deep growl from Nick she turned around from her crouched position and saw Nick on all fours. She gazed into his emerald eyes, eyes that were now bloodshot with anger and fury. She heard a gasp come from herself and felt the one thing she hoped she never had to feel with Nick.

Fear. She felt it run through her. She felt it control her actions and caused her nose to twitch crazily. Her ears fell down to her back and felt her body automatically scoot backwards on the floor from what was in front of her.

"Nick, stop, why are you this angry, what did I do?" Judy said to the hulking beast looming before her.

"JUDY. GIVE. ME. BACK. MY. PHONE!" Nick yelled and lunged at Judy again. Judy again successfully dodged him but even closer than the last time.

"Nick, WHY!" Judy screamed. Nick soared over Judy again, this time he landed smoothly on all four paws and his claws dug into the carpet on his floor as he landed giving him extra grip. Judy looked at Nick's phone in her paw, the thing that made Nick go insane with rage.

"Nick, your going down a path I can't follow" Judy thought to herself.

"Judy, please, give me my phone, I can't let you see-..." Nick said, his eyes softening a little, his expression vague.

"Nick, tell me, what can't I see, what-".

" **NO**!" Nick cut her off and his expression was full of rage and anger once more, his teeth barred and his tail sticking straight out.

Nick stepped closer to Judy. Each step he took forward, Judy took a step back.

One forward.

One back.

One forward.

One back, until Judy felt the wall against her back, restraining her from moving behind her any more. She stared at Nick, she saw those same eyes as before when she pulled the phone away from him. Even though her instinct was to run, to run as fast as she could away from her attacker, she ignored them and looked deeper into his green eyes. She saw something else, something new, she had never seen before in him. She saw fear, not for himself, but for her and what would happen if she found out what was on his phone he so desperately wanted to hide from her.

The snarl brought her back to reality. It brought her back to the real world, where she realized that she was face to face with a angry, rage filled fox. He took another step closer causing Judy to press up against the wall as flat as she could, but there was no escape.

As Nick stepped closer he gazed at Judy, he saw the fear in her eyes, he saw her nose twitching, he saw her eyes tearing up from what he was doing to her. His nose touched hers. He felt her nose twitch and start to make his own kind've itchy. He felt his anger and rage melt away as he calmed down.

"What am I doing!" Nick yelled out loud to himself. He pulled away from her and stood up on two paws, sensibly. He put his paws on his head and dug deep into his head, drawing blood.

"Nick stop it!" Judy yelled and jumped up to try to rip his claws from his head.

"No, Judy, I can't stop, not after what I just did!" Nick said and turned away from her. He couldn't bear to see the disappointment in her eyes. She was the one person that helped him, the one person that actually cared about him. The one person that loved him.

"Nick, here, you can have your phone back" Judy said and layed his phone down on his bed. "I don't care what you didn't want me to see, the only thing I want to see is you calmed down" Judy said, her voice slightly stern but affectionate more than anything.

"No Judy, I can't, I just can't calm down after what I did, just to stop you from seeing something I've been hiding for a while now" Nick said, choking on every word. He began to loosen his claws a little bit but then strengthened them even tighter when he saw his blood on the fur of Judy's arm.

"Nick stop, your hurting yourself" Judy said and ran over to him and put her paw on his arm.

"That's the idea" Nick said and took another step back from Judy.

"Nick, stop, I'm not going to let you get hurt anymore".

"No, Judy stay away from me!" Nick said, his expression was horrified, not at anything else, but at his own actions.

"Nick-".

"NO JUDY, stay away from me". Nick said and moved further back.

"You know I can't".

"Yes you can, stay away from me Judy, I'm a monster" Nick said, his voice stern.

"No you're not Nick, you're not a monster, your a fox. You're **my** fox" Judy said, her eyes tearing up, not at what Nick did to her, but at what he was saying about himself.

Judy turned around and jumped up onto the bed so she was at his height. Judy placed her paw on his chest and forcefully grabbed his tie with her other paw and pulled him towards her, and planted his right on her own.

Nick retracted his claws and released them from his head and slowly wrapped them around Judy, pulling her towards him.

Both of them were crying at the events that just previously unfolded, the darkness in the room didn't seem to go away unlike last time. Nick pulled away from Judy a couple seconds later, crying and panting.

Judy was about to speak but was cut off from the radio on her belt. " _Hopps, we need you and Wilde at the ZPD, **NOW** , no dily dallying, Bogo out". _

Judy grabbed the radio off of the clip on her belt and pressed the respond button and held it up to her mouth. " _Okay Chief, were on our way, Hopps out_ ".

Nick looked at Judy with a torn expression on his face. He then stood up and unwrapped his arms around Judy and sighed.

"Looks like we better get going then" Nick said and reached down next to Judy and grabbed his phone off of the bed. Judy inwardly frowned at him, that he decided after all that, he was just going to take his phone and leave.

Judy looked at Nick, seeing that he had already replaced his torn and guilty expression from before with his signature smirk.

"Well I don't know about you but I'm going to get dressed, I still got that fifteen minute death threat hanging over my head" Nick said and chuckled, keeping all of his emotions bottled up on the inside.

Nick turned around and walked in to the bathroom and turned on the water again, leaving Judy sitting on the bed once more. As Judy was waiting for him to get ready, she was deep in thought at what possibly could of made him act so crazy. What could possibly make him attack her like that. "What is on that phone of your's you didn't want me to see?" Judy thought to herself. "The only thing I could think of that would do that is-. Is, _me_ ".

Judy looked at the door to the bathroom with a concerned look on her muzzle. "I don't think he was being selfish and not showing me something important, I think he was preventing me from seeing something that he still doesn't have the courage to show me yet" Judy thought to herself.

"C'mon Carrots" Nick said, causing Judy to jolt in surprise at how fast he got ready, as he was fully dressed in his police uniform and his fur looked as if he took an hour grooming it.

"First one to the car gets to drive" Nick said with a smirk.

Since Judy was still shaken from what happened earlier, she didn't acknowledge his comment and looked at him blankly.

"Okay, I guess I'll be driving then" Nick said while grabbing his keys and ran out the door. Judy realized he didn't shut the door to his apartment, so she ran out into the hallway after him.

"Nick, you forgot to shut the door!" Judy yelled.

"Are you sure?".

"Yes I'm sure, you're door is wide open!".

"Are you sure, your sure?".

"Yes,...no, maybe?" Judy said and looked behind her, seeing that the door was clearly wide open and he had tricked her.

"Ha, ha, got you again Carrots!" Nick said laughing all the way down the hallway.

"Dumb fox, that wasn't even funny!" Judy said after him and rolled her eyes.

"It was to me!" Nick replied back, still laughing.

"You really don't let anything get to you, don't you Nick".

"Or anyone..." Judy thought to herself and walked over and put her paw on the handle of the door.

She looked into the room to see if she or Nick forgot anything. She clenched her paw on the handle, threatening to crush the metal like it was tissue paper, as she saw the rips in the carpet from Nick's claws. Her features creased in anger and then transitioned into sadness at what transpired earlier in this apartment.

"Nick, what are you hiding?" She whispered to herself and quietly closed the door.

* * *

Unknowing to Judy, if she just walked right to up Nick's mattress, knelled down and simply looked underneath his bed, she would of gotten her answer.

* * *

 **Hello all!**

 **This is my third story for Zootopia. And just a quick shout out to AngloFalcon for helping me with clarifying on how people write their stories at their own pace. Thank you for that advice, it really helped me think how to actually start this story and shape it to my NEEDS and WANT'S. (And hopefully your guys/gals liking as well).**

 **And just so every one knows, it's going to get pretty complicated with Nick and Judy and how everything play's out. (Also I have a poll on my profile, PLEASE vote on it as it will determine the future of this story. If you don't vote, well let's just say "I have a bad feeling about this fanfic then"). :)**

 **Like and comment on what's your favorite part of the story and PM me your theory of how you think it will work. (Also, on a side note, check out AngloFalcons profile, he has very well done stories on there. I highly recommend them). Cheers! :)**


	2. Chapter 2: The Accident Part 1

**Long term, Short term: Chapter 1**

 **The Accident: Part 1**

 **By Zaddict16**

* * *

Nick was leaning up against the car door, looking into the side view mirror, checking his fur. He looked down at the badge pinned on his chest. He admired the way it glistened in the sunlight, how it lifted his spirits whenever they got low.

But even with all the street smarts and business suaveness he collected over the years, he knew there was **nothing** he could do to "shrug off" that he was lying to himself.

He knew that he just covered up his feelings of his success and valor, and put all the glory on the badge he so respectably wore. But he knew the real thing that lifted his spirits when they got low.

He remembered the lyrics to the song Judy loved by Gazelle. "I won't give up, no I won't give in, till I reach the end". He memorized that specific line from the song, not because Judy played it a lot and he heard every ten seconds, no. He remembered those words because he knew that that's what Judy used for inspiration, besides himself of course.

He just hoped that he wasn't following that advice too well, for his sake and Judy's. He knew he couldn't tell her, she wasn't ready for the truth.

"If I tell her, things will never be the same, for better or for worse. And I don't want to take a chance on it being worse. I **can't** tell her yet, and if I'm not careful and it slips, the very friendship, even everything we built together, will crumble in ruins. I **CAN NOT** have that happen, not when I'm so close" Nick thought to himself.

But at what cost? At what cost, would he have to take on avoiding telling that information. He knew she helped him, a lot, no matter what the task was.

Judy.

He knew that she was the real help. He knew that deep down he NEEDED her, and she needed him too. He thought back to when he first met her, that day so long ago, when he saw her walk into the ice cream parlor. He knew in the back of his mind that there was something special about this bunny. Something that he had never seen before in ANYONE that he's ever met, especially not Finnick.

And now, that bunny that he admired even when he first met her and despised her at first for "hustling" him, was broken down to tears from what he did.

"I don't think I'll be able to recover from that" Nick said out loud to himself, thinking he was alone.

He was not.

"I don't think I'll be able to either Nick" someone said behind him. Nick eyes widened and his heartbeat quickened as he slowly turned around and saw Judy standing there, her arms crossed and her was foot tapping slowly on the pavement. The look she gave him was icy enough to plunge the entire district of Sahara Square into eternal winter.

"Hey Carrots, you made it!" Nick said, suppressing his guilt with his smug grin.

"I almost didn't after what happened earlier, you gave me quite the scare Nick" Judy said, her expression was grave.

"Oh come on, Halloween already passed like two weeks ago, everyone, including me, already took down all their decorations, so what possibly could of scared you?" Nick said, already knowing the answer.

"Hmmm, I don't know, I mean there was this fox who frightened me. He didn't look scary, the thing that I was afraid of is what he did, it was just so unexpected and I don't think I could trust him again without a REALLY good explanation as to WHY".

"Well then, this fox sounds like a jerk, doesn't he?".

"Does he sound like a jerk. Yes, yes he does" Judy said but with no trace of amusement in her expression.

"This fox sounds like he means a lot to you, am I correct?".

"He does, he really does, and I care about him SO much. But he isn't being completely honest with me".

"How so?".

"He wouldn't answer my question I repeatedly asked him, and then he went crazy after I took his phone. And I thought I was addicted to candy crush" Judy said with a forced smile. Looking at him, she knew that he could be a self-centered jerk at most times. But occasionally, he was this sweet, caring, warm, gooey, "delicious" mammal, who loved the bunny standing in front of him. Be that as it may, right now, that bunny wasn't very enthusiastic about what he decided to do to her earlier that morning.

She could see with an explanation that they could make it work, but the reynard in front of her, refused to fold his deck.

The doe took another step towards him. She studied his paw movements, his eye contact, or lack of it, even his tail and his ears to see if she could find any give away.

"Well maybe this, "fox" has a good reason to not tell you why he acted outright bonkers?"

"If so, I would LOVE to hear it, wouldn't you say? **FOX!** " Judy yelled.

"What, do you think **I'm** the fox Carrots?" Nick said playing dumb, knowing that Judy was right. She did deserve an explanation, but right now was not the time for it.

"I know it's you Nick, stop playing dumb!".

"Madam, that is such an accusation! I was under the impression that you were playing dumb. Seeing as how you're the only dumb bunny here" Nick said with a smirk that was instantly replaced with fear as he saw Judy rush up to him and push him into the car door, her arm braced on his chest, and his tie intertwined tightly around her paw.

"Ughhhhhh, Carrots?".

"I don't want to hear any nonsense or wisecracks about me or anything else. The only thing that is going to come out of your mouth is the truth".

"So, **what the heck was all that about!?** " Judy yelled right into Nick's face as she yanked his tie towards her so he was at her level.

Nick slightly opened his mouth to answer but immediately closed it again because of what the answer was.

Judy lowered her voice and leaned closer to Nick, her arm still braced on his chest, but a little lighter than before.

"Nick, tell me, please" Judy said, her voice quaking as she spoke, her eyes moist, her expression horrified at what transpired earlier.

"You scared me Nick". She gazed into Nick's eyes, eyes that used to bring hope and meaning to her life. Eyes that now brought fear and betrayal, causing her view on her partner to be tarnished.

"You really did. And I don't think I can trust you anymore, as my partner".

"My friend".

"Or. My _boyfriend_ " Judy said and felt tears star to run down her cheeks.

"Judy, I-".

"Nick **PLEASE** , tell me the truth, I need to know".

Judy loosened up from Nick a little bit more but kept a firm grip on his tie. She thought to herself "Nick why aren't you telling me?" and felt the frustration run through her body, as if it were a surge of electricity that she couldn't stop.

"Just answer one question for me Nick, please" Judy said and moved in closer to Nick, not to tighten her grip, but to get control of the situation, more than she already had, but without using force.

"What is it?" Nick asked with gravely.

"If you won't tell me what your hiding, then at least tell me what's bothering you?".

"Carrots, nothing's bothering me" Nick said with a slight chuckle trying to cover that something was bothering him, but miserably failing.

"Nick, don't you **dare** lie to me!" Judy said, her expression becoming stern once more.

"Well the only thing that's bothering me is **you** right now, and before you punch me, that is the truth" Nick said and put his paws in front of his face to block Judy's impending attack. But it never came.

Nick felt something soft on his chest, something, fluffy. He looked down and saw Judy burying her face in his chest, and he saw the tears stream down from her eyes. Nick's face fell into a frown, one that was no easy task for any mammal to get him to show, except apparently, one.

Nick slowly wrapped his arms around Judy and lightly caressed her ears with one paw, the other he had wrapped around her waist pulling her close to him.

They stood there, in silence, for longer than Nick could care to count. He drowned out the cars rushing by to get to work, and the occasional passerby that gave them and awkward look when they saw them so close to each other.

Occasionally, he heard a soft whimper exit from Judy, and each time he pulled her closer towards him. He could feel her breath on his chest every time she exhaled, giving him assurance that she was safe and could be comfortable. But every time she inhaled, her voice cracked and faltered into a whimper or a sob, reminding him of what he did, ripping away the shred of hope he had left. The very one he was trying to save so he could repair the broken mirror that he adored.

The same mirror, that every time he gazed into the polished glass, and stared at the reflection, he saw Judy. And if he were in Judy's shoes, metaphorically speaking, seeing as how neither of them wore shoes, he knew her reflection was of him, with a sly, smug grin plastered on his muzzle.

Each time he did that, he saw Judy's nose twitch in warmth and safety. But he couldn't help but think if it was twitching from safety, or fear.

As he stood there, holding her in his arms, he thought to himself. He thought how could he protect Judy if she was afraid of him after what he did. He felt the warm summer breeze blow through his fur, giving him slight confidence, but that confidence was swiftly ripped away from him when he gazed down at the sobbing bunny in his arms.

"How can I protect you from harm Judy, if I can't even protect you from myself" Nick said, his ears drooped and his tail lay stiff behind him. Judy, still crying, looked up at him, her expression was vague.

Nick could tell that he hurt her, in more ways than one. He knew he did something that he would regret for the rest of his life. And that she would hate him for it.

"Nick, in the time we've known each other I've seen you come up with some pretty crazy excuses, some that succeed, and some that fail. I've known the sly, charming, part of you for a while now, but do you want to know what my favorite part of you is?".

"What might it be, malady?" Nick said, his eyes narrowed at the bunny below him.

"The part I like the most about you is how, every once in a while, like right now, you're just so caring and so warm hearted. Nick, I care about you. **A** **lot** , but you must understand that when you cross the line, you can't take it back. No matter how much you want to, so please, at least tell me what you think would happen if you showed me what was on your phone." Judy explained, her ears drooped and her nose twitched wildly because she was so close to him.

Nick sighed and unwrapped his arms around her and cocked a reassuring smile at her, working to some affect, but not much. Judy let go of Nick's tie and slowly took a step back from him took her arm off his chest. Nick then grabbed his tie and readjusted it from when Judy yanked it towards her, him with it.

Nick reached up and ran a paw down his neck and down the collar on his uniform, smoothing out the crease Judy made from the "conversation" they just had.

The fox lightly pushed himself off the car as if he were going to take a step towards the doe in front of him, but to her surprise he just stood there, and crossed his right leg over his left one with the heel of his paw facing up, his toes spread firmly on the cement on the sidewalk. He put his left arm horizontally across his chest, and placed his elbow on his arm, his paw placed on his snout, as if he was deep in thought.

Judy looked at him puzzled, as she never once before seen him stand that way. It was as if unlike all his other give way's, he made a new one just to throw her off. Maybe he was just trying to trick her into thinking the opposite of what was on his mind.

Or maybe, it was a stance that he hadn't used on anyone in a very long time. One that he didn't need to use, or one that he hadn't used for a reason or _feeling_ he hasn't felt in a long time.

For some reason, she couldn't help but think that him standing there, looking at her like that. A look she slightly recognized, one that she only saw when she did something to make him blush, and vice versa.

But now, that very look that he was giving her, she knew that he only used it when he **truly** cared about someone. And apparently, she had that luxury of seeing it on his face. Seeing it crease the fur around his mouth as he pursed his lips, thinking about what to do next.

After a couple, more seconds, or minutes, or months, Judy didn't care about time. The only thing she cared about right now was the fox standing in front of her.

 **Her** fox. Using a goofy stance, that made her blush a little bit.

"Judy, have I ever told why I occasionally stand like this?" the reynard said, breaking the silence both needed after what happened between them.

"You mean never, right? Judy said with a smile but then replaced it with seriousness and continued, No you haven't, why?".

"Well, I've never told you this, or anyone for that matter" Nick said and shrugged his shoulders out of habit but stopped himself from making a sly remark, on behalf of Judy.

"Go on" the doe said while gesturing to him with her paw to continue.

Nick unfolded his legs and let his arms go limp and felt his arms fall to his side. He slowly took a step towards the bunny, eyeing her ears, to see if he could tell if she trusted him to approach her after what he did.

After he cautiously took a few more steps, and saw no change in her expression, and no movement in her ears except for the wind rustling her fur and the occasional twitch from her listening to his each and every pawstep, he inwardly smiled at her enthusiasm for his answer.

Granted his answer was something he was trying to keep locked up a while longer, he saw that he had no choice but to face the music. Try everything, most likely.

Nick took the uneasiness out of his step and put on a reassuring smile, and placed his paw on her shoulder.

"Judy, the reason why I just stood like that, and the reason why you haven't seen me stand like that ever, is because..." Nick trailed off and reached up and wiped the sweat that was accumulating on his forehead away.

Judy looked up at him, she saw the concern written all over his muzzle. The fear, the worry, the strife, she saw it cloud his judgement, twist his confidence into stress and anguish.

"Why?" Judy asked, her voice curious but also cautious for the answer.

"The reason why you haven't seen me stand like that, ever, is because, I have not needed too in a very long time" Nick said, his expression blank.

"Why have you not needed to then?".

"Because, I haven't felt any reason to. I haven't **felt** about someone like that in my entire life Judy. I didn't think I knew what I wanted in my life. I thought I was just going to be a pawpsicle hustler my entire life, not batting an eye at anyone who tells me it's wrong to con people."

Nick looked at Judy with a sympathetic smile on his muzzle, one that he adopted from Judy over the time they've known each other.

"Until I met you".

Judy's eyes widened as she processed the sentence, her ears cupped towards Nick, soaking in his sincerity.

"And I never want, or wanted, to hurt you Judy. Not now, tomorrow, or ever for that matter".

"But I failed that promise Judy. I failed this city. I failed my species into thinking we could change from the _savage_ **monsters** we once were." Nick sighed and took his paw off her shoulder, his paw was clenched in guilt as it fell to his side.

"And, I failed you, Judy. I failed to protect you. I failed to help you. I even failed to put your needs over mine. But because I was so scared of what would happen if you saw..." Nick trailed off, his head hung low in shame.

Judy folded her paws, she always thought it helped her think. She took a step towards Nick, as he saw her approach he flinched and took a step back.

Just like before in the apartment, every step Judy took forward Nick took one back. Until he found himself pressed up against the car door once more.

With a sheepish smile Nick said "Well Judy, now I know how you felt in there, the fear, the worry, even the pain".

Judy looked up and down at Nick, she looked at every speck of evidence she could to piece together the story he was so reluctant to confess.

"Nick, you didn't fail me".

Nick looked up from his guilty position, the sweat, running down his muzzle, making his fur moist.

"We all head over the edge sometimes. But there is always a choice Nick. All we have to do is decide on whether we want to sulk, and stay down at the bottom and rot. Or if we want to pick ourselves up and climb back up the cliff, no matter the risk. Because we know what the reward is if we succeed".

Nick contemplated on what she said, his face straining to conceive and understand every syllable of every single word she said.

"Oh Carrots, did you just get that from Gazelle?" Nick said with a sly smirk on his muzzle.

Judy ignored his statement and said "So what was the real reason why you stood like that? You still haven't told me why".

Nick straightened out from his slouched position and ran a paw through the fur on his head, smoothing it down.

"Well...".

* * *

Meanwhile...

About six blocks away, there was a figure sulking in the shadows in a nearby ally. The figure took something out of his poket and held it up to his muzzle, whispering commands into it.

"Alpha team, check in".

"All good sir".

"Bravo team, report".

"Bravo team is ready to respond".

"Charlie team?".

"All good here sir. Ready for command".

The wolf smiled. His grin seemed as if it stretched up to his ears, creasing his fur into a demented and twisted smile. He let go of the talk button on his radio and lowered his arm to his side. He leaned forward from his crouched position and checked the surrounding area.

He eyed something across the street. Something everyone wanted but either never had the guts to achieve what they desired, or never had the skill to do it in the first place.

He looked at the ground below him, looking at the cracked pavement in the alley. He thought to himself "How are people supposed to make a difference if they can't even help themselves from the corruption that is poisoned within this city. How can they stop, **me** ".

"Awaiting orders sir" his radio said.

The wolf took a deep breath and suppressed his grin. He placed his paw in his pocket and pulled something metal out. He looked at the gun in his paw, and turned the safety off and checked the ammo, all full.

He placed the gun in the holster on his belt and reached back behind him and pulled a hood over his head. He thought it completed his outfit, seeing as how he was wearing a black leather jacket with black cargo shorts and his lucky black leather gloves.

The wolf held up the radio to his muzzle again and said five simple words.

"All teams. Give em hell".

* * *

 **Hello!**

 **This is getting pretty good right? Now, I trust that if you would like it to get better, then you would review?**

 **If so, good. If not, not good.**

 **Seriously though, I really need people to review my story with any theories, criticism, or plot twists they have muddling around in their head.**

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 **Cheerio!**


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